A more confident China may push back harder on issues such as technology, territory and human rights.

His pressing need to prioritize domestic challenges could give China breathing room to push forward its agenda, whether it be technological advancement or territorial issues from Taiwan to its border with India.

The Communist Party has sought to use the pandemic to justify its continued control of the one-party, authoritarian state it has led for more than 70 years, while rounding up citizen-journalists and others to quash any criticism of its handling of the outbreak.

“It would have been more difficult for them to push that narrative around the world if the United States had not done such a poor job,” said Bonnie Glaser, director of the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic & International Studies in Washington, D.C.

It’s impossible to gauge support for the Communist Party in a country where many would be unwilling to criticize it publicly, for fear of repercussions.

It is unclear whether the Communist Party foresees exporting its way of governance as an alternative to the democratic model.

“But to me, it feels more like they don’t want anyone to be able to say that China is bad and get away with it.”.

Moritsugu, The Associated Press’ news director for Greater China, has reported in Asia for more than 15 years